Poland Foreign Minister concludes trip to Central Asia

Poland Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman, Zbigniew Rau, concludes his visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia today. 

The visit seeks to strengthen existing ties within the OSCE countries and encourage political reforms throughout Central Asia. The visit concludes ahead of ongoing constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: two countries that have undergone political turmoil in recent months. Zbigniew Rau welcomed proposed political and economic reforms in Kazakhstan during his visit. 

Given the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian influence in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has dampened, leaving room for Western European members of the OSCE. Expect a strengthening of economic and security relationships between Poland and Central Asian countries in the short term. During Zbigniew Rau’s visit, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan expressed developing further cooperation with the organization on the parliamentary dimension. In the long term, OSCE’s chairmanship support of political reforms in the Central Asian countries will likely provide the opportunity to distance themselves from Russia’s sphere of influence, potentially allowing for a deepening of ties with Western Europe.